Brave New World
by FantasyBard
Summary: In the aftermath of a first contact that left reeling with it's possibilities, Megamind is soon called upon to take the ultimate journey. In order to save the last of his family, he will travel to another world with Roxanne and Minion, on an adventure that will change his life forever.
1. Vision

Hello, readers of Megamind fiction. This is sequal to the first story that I wrote in this series, First Contact. I would highly sugguest that you go and read that one first, as this story has a lot of orignal characters and circumstances that were really only hinted at in the movie. I will not waste a lot of time on introduction notes, only to say that I hope everyone enjoys this journey.

Disclaimer: I do not own Megamind, either the characters of the stories. They belong to their respective creators. I am making no profit on this besides the satisfaction of writing it.

Brave New World

When Megamind discovered the identity of three aliens from the world of his birth, he had thought that he had seen everything. Little did he know what new worlds awaited.

Kaitoia, mortally wounded following the battle against Titan and the DOOM Syndicate, races home aboard the Tandaren ship. Her only hope of survival lies with her unknown brother, Megamind."

Meanwhile, Melisande and Seren, compelled by Kaitoia's final wish that they should conclude their mission, return to Earth to take care of unfinished business. Megamind finally learns the truth about his past and the startling revelation that he is not the last of his kind.

And when a desperate plea from his brother-in-law arrives, Megamind realizes that he must leave everything he has known behind. With Roxanne and Minion, he travels to a brave new world, on an adventure that will change his life forever.

Prologue: Vision

_Chandos IV, Capital City of Baktal_

It was a fine evening on Chandos IV, the great sun of the system was setting amidst a panorama of clouds that were red, purple and deep yellow. A unique feature of the Chandos IV atmosphere was the clouds, which could change in color and texture in the space of only a few hours. It was a goldmine for Tandaren artists. Kerestan was one of them, his sculptures and paintings especially were highly admired by the inhabitants of Baktal. Today, he had seen the beginnings of an awesome sunset, with the perfect alignment of color and clouds. He had quickly set up his easel and his paints, eager to catch another natural wonder for the canvas.

Jocasta, Kerestan's Yun Minion, also got in on the artistic venture. Yuns had incredible eyesight and were quite capable of perceiving color in ways that even Tandarens couldn't. The task normally fell to her to mix the colors that Kerestan needed.

"I think this will be your finest painting yet of the summer sunsets." Said Jocasta, "You should try to make a series of them, Sir. I'm certain that they would be highly sought after."

Kerestan laughed. "I am not aiming to make a great masterpiece, Jocasta, though I thank you for the compliment. Right now, I'm really aiming to take my mind off things. It's been awhile since I heard from Kaitoia."

Jocasta's face became serious. Kaitoia was Kerestan's wife. She had been gone for several months, to a planet called Earth. Kerestan normally took their long separation quite well, but every so often, his calm façade would falter, and she would see just how much her Master missed Kaitoia.

"You know how busy she is, Sir. It's not because she doesn't care. But, it's been a few weeks. I'm sure that she'll get a message to you soon. You just have to be patient."

"I want to believe you, Jocasta. In fact, most of me does. But, I've been feeling things through our bond which make me doubt the certainty of her peace of mind."

Tandarens were a telepathic race, and when two of their kind was joined in matrimony, a bond developed which was unlike any other forged in their society. This bond was intrinsic, the thoughts and emotions of both parties shared freed and easily. When one was in pain, the other felt it and sought to heal the other, to comfort in sorrow and rejoice in happiness. The vast distance of space had weakened the influx of what Kerestan could feel, but he was not entirely cut off, and he could still sense his wife was going through.

"What have you sensed? Nothing threatening her safety, I hope?"

"No, no nothing like that. But it's not anything I have felt from her before, and to some extent, she is confused by it as well. I believe it has to do with the Tandaren which they are observing. If I did not now her better, I'd say that there was some sort of bond forming."

"But, Kaitoia is already bonded to you. How could she-"

"It's not a bond that is established, like a marriage. It feels like the bond of instinct that is formed between siblings. I doubt that she is aware of just how it is forming. But I can see that it is developing, slowly, but surely."

"Have you talked with her about this all?"

"No, but I might have to bring it up the next time we speak." He shook his head, and tried to bury his doubts for the present moment.

"But, as I don't know when that will be. For right now, I have a painting that needs to be done. Do you have those other colors ready?"

"Yes, sir. I'll get them right now."

Jocasta skittered away on her spider suit, leaving Kerestan to capture the rest of his painting. He was certain that he would be able to lose himself for a few hours in his work, and for a few minutes, he was beginning to feel himself to relax a little. But that was not to last.

It happened with no warning. Kerestan suddenly felt a jolt moving through his entire body. He dropped his brush, and grabbed his head as a crippling wave of agony moved through his body; it felt as though his very heart was burning from the inside out.

He gasped as his vision swam, and for a split second, he saw Kaitoia lying in a pool of blood surrounded by rubble. He realized with horror that something terrible had happened to her, and he was powerless to prevent it or even help. He stumbled, unable to keep himself upright. He bumped into the easel and his materials clattered to the ground of the terrace. He barely noticed as waves of agony continued to pulsate through his body.

Jocasta had heard the commotion and she came rushing to her Master's aid. "Sir, Sir, what's the matter? What's happened?"

"Kaitoia," Kerestan was barely able to gasp out, "Something has happened to her. She's in pain, terrible pain."

Over the next hour, Jocasta was trying her best to help Kerestan. There was little that she could do for him physically, and mentally, hardly anything at all. Kerestan had been shattered for a time, for a cause he did not understand. Kaitoia was obviously in pain, but he didn't know how badly or what could be done.

When the knock was heard at the door, Jocasta hurried to answer it, intending to tell whoever it was to come back later. But she froze when she saw who it was. "Gargi, thank goodness. You're just the person I was hoping would show up."

Gargi was an old friend of the family; she had been Kaitoia's mentor in years past. Now, she lived beyond the outskirts of Baktal. She was old, with wrinkly skin and required a cane to get around. But her eyes and demeanor were always bright and happy. Except for now, her eyes were sad and somber, and her expression was worried. "Jocasta, where is Kerestan? I must speak with him."

Kerestan was sitting in the common room, his head in his hands. But when he heard Gargi come into the room, he raised his eyes to look at her. "Gargi, what are you doing here?"

But Kerestan already saw what the answer was before she even spoke. Gargi possessed an uncanny ability to foretell the future. And Kerestan could see in her face that she had indeed seen something, and it was the very worst thing that could have happened. "Kerestan, I'm so sorry."


	2. A Promise to Fulfill

A Promise to Fulfill:

_Tandaren ship, Earth orbit._

It had been nearly three hours since the beam-up. In that time much had happened. Kaitoia's broken body had been rushed immediately to the ship's medical bay, and the news had not been good. The blast had destroyed part of her heart. The organ could no longer process oxygen, and the other heart was forced to pick up the slack. There was little that could be done for her on the ship; they did not have the resources to treat such a severe injury. They could keep Kaitoia in a medically induced coma, but beyond that, they were powerless. If Kaitoia was to have any hope of surviving, they had to bring her back to Chandos IV.

The decision was made quickly, and on several points, it seemed the wisest course of action. There seemed little else that they could do on Earth, for the battle had forced Kaitoia and Melisande to reveal themselves, and they simply could not run the risk that they might have been detected. If a first contact was ever going to happen, it would have to be put on hold for now.

All this was sensible, abiding with the rules of logic. It was a course of action that Kaitoia herself would have at one time championed. However, things had changed. She had changed during her time on Earth, and now, with so much at stake, she could not let the work which had been begun on Earth be so abruptly terminated. It was not finished.

She knew this, and yet she knew that she herself could not be the one to finish it. But she knew of two people who could. Before she was placed into the coma, she asked to see Melisande and Seren in private.

Melisande seemed unusually sober, though she tried to put a brave face on things. "Hey, Kaitoia, this isn't very sporting of you, walking out on a mission halfway to its finishing point."

Kaitoia smiled. "Melis, I don't have much time. You have to listen to me. They told me about the extent of my injuries, and the course that they have to take."

"Medically-induced coma, I know. You were always the one who said hard work paid off, but here you are sleeping your life away."

"Melis, I'm dying."

Melisande's face faltered. A desperate, pleading look came into her eyes. "Kaitoia, don't talk like that. You'll be all right. They just-"

"Even if they take me back to Chandos IV it won't make any difference in my condition. There's not enough tissue left for my heart to regenerate itself. It's only a matter of official confirmation. The coma will only be delaying the inevitable."

Melisande shook her head, tears appearing in her eyes. "No, Kaitoia. You can't die. Not now. You just found out that your brother is still alive. You can't let be denied to you."

"Melis, please, listen to me. You have got to finish what we started. Take Seren, go back to Earth, tell my… my brother what really happened the day our parents died. Tell him that he isn't alone. Regardless of whether or not I survive, he has to know that."

Melisande hesitated, clearly unwilling to leaver her best friend's side when she was so mortally wounded. "Melisande, you are the truest friend I have ever had. Do this for me now, please. Promise me you will see a first contact with Earth established."

Melisande could not resist a plea like that, especially when it might be Kaitoia's last. Her hesitation vanished, and she nodded firmly. "I will, Kaitoia, I promise you."

Seren had been listening to this whole thing with increasing anxiety. Her golden body was lying curled on Kaitoia's chest, where she had remained ever since beam-up, refusing to leave her Mistress' side. "Mistress, please don't send me away from your side."

"Seren, you cannot do anything else for me here and now. You have to do this, for me. Sujan will need your presence if he is to come to terms with this news."

She smiled, and managed to reach out one hand to stroke Seren's head. "My dear friend, do this for me now, and it will be the greatest service that you have ever rendered me."

Seren pushed her face up against Kaitoia's, a gesture of affection not uncommon in her species. "I will do as you command, Mistress. Please, be safe."

They did not know if it was the last time that they would ever speak to Kaitoia, but with a sinking feeling, they realized that it might be the last time that they would be able to promise her anything. As they watched Kaitoia succumbing to the coma, they both knew that they had no choice, but to fulfill the promise they had made.

However, Algar, the Captain of the expedition had expressly forbade any further contact with Earth. Fortunately, Melisande really had no qualms whatsoever about totally ignoring his commands when something ore important was at stake. Seren, acting under the orders of her Mistress shared those sentiments without any problem. The big problem this presented, though, was how to actually beam down to Earth without being seen or stopped. There would be only one chance to get the operation right, but it was a chance that they had to take.

"Melisande, we will be going into hyperspace in less than five minutes." Said Seren, as they snuck into the deserted transporter room.

"I'm well aware that we're working on a time limit, Seren." Said Melisande, as she went into the counsel, and began to input the proper commands. "But we need to get this right. The engines are revving up right now. I need to make sure they're creating enough disturbances along the sensor lines so that our transporter will only look like random background noise. By the time Algar realizes we're missing, he won't be able to turn around for us."

"Once the coordinates are locked into the computer, they can't be stopped." Said Seren, "By the time anyone can come to get us, we will hopefully have completed what needs to be done."

"There." Said Melisande, finishing her commands. "We should be good. Get on the pad, Seren."

A few minutes later, they materialized in a deserted area of the shipping district on the outskirts of Metro City. Melisande checked her communicator which she had hooked into the ship's systems. She smiled. "They're away. It should be a couple of hours before we're missed. By that time, it will be too late."

"Then we had best set to work." Said Seren, as she slithered over to Melisande and began to wrap herself around her arm. "Where to first, Megamind's?"

"Not yet." Said Melisande, "There's someone I need to see first. I have another promise that I need to fulfill."

* * *

Please, read and review. I am really excited about this story. I am planning all sorts of fun little things as Megamind and friends head to a brand new adventure. I hope that this is a good beginning, and that you will be with me for the long haul. Writers are nothing without their readers, after all, so thanks for reading.

Next chapter: On Earth, Metro City is begining to recover from the attack. However, for some of it's residents, the aftermath will have far reaching consequnces. Begining with Bernard as Melisande returns, and with Hal Stewart when he has one last encounter with his greatest enemy.


	3. I Will Always Rturn

I am so glad that I am getting such a positive response from the first two chapters. This story is going to be staying on Earth for a few more chapters, but then it will be heading off for Chandos. And for all the people who are fans of a little romance for Minion (and let's face it, the fish needs some loving), I can promise that there will be a little romance for him once we get there.

But for right now, we join our favorite mixed race species partners, Melisande and Bernard. Melisande did say that she would come back.

I Will Always Return:

For Bernard St. Clair, watching Melisande vanish in the beam of the transporter was the hardest thing that he had ever witnessed. It had physically felt as though a part of his heart had been taken with her. He wasn't normally the sentimental type. But Melisande had changed him in ways that he had never anticipated.

His memories of the battle were sketchy at best. After pushing Melisande out of the way of the speeding car (an act that he now realized was probably not the wisest action he could have done. After all, Melisande herself would never have been able to survive unscathed), his injuries had left him unconscious. By the time he remembered anything clearly the worst of it had been over. At least, until Kaitoia had been hit by stray weapons fire, forcing the strange alien visitors to beam back to their waiting ship.

That had been nearly twelve hours ago. The city was beginning to repair itself after the epic confrontation; Hal had been carted off to prison, along with the DOOM Syndicate agents that could be found. Megamind had, however, disappeared after the battle. His brain bots were, of course, helping in the clean up as they always did. Megamind himself wasn't, which was unusual for the blue-skinned hero. He normally took great pride in making sure that the city was put back together. No one knew the reason why, but they did not question his absence. After all, Megamind had risked his like is defense of Metro City; it only made sense that he needed rest.

Only Bernard and the rest of the witnesses to Kaitoia's fatal injury knew the truth. Megamind had been faced with the prospect that he was not the last of his kind. And then, before he could even come to terms with it, the opportunity had been snatched from his grasp. Bernard could only imagine who was actually quite a sensitive person. We couldn't blame his friend for wanting to disappear for awhile.

Of course, no one questioned why Bernard was depressed. The museum curator always struck others as being a very surly personality. However, they couldn't have guessed that he was actually harboring a broken heart. He had lost the only woman that he had ever completely surrendered his heart to. True, she had promised that she would come back. But Bernard was above all things a realist. He knew there was very little chance that Melisande would return.

That night, he had been brooding about all these matters, blankly watching the TV as news reports continued to elaborate on the battle and its aftermath. He didn't notice that he had an unexpected guest in the room until he heard her voice right behind him. "Hello, Bernard."

Bernard was so startled that he nearly jumped out of his skin. He sprang to his feet and turned around. There she was her red hair, freckles, and those blue eyes, the sky blue eyes that he loved were staring back at him.

Bernard wasn't normally one to give into highly emotional displays. However, when he saw Melisande and her smiling face, he could not help himself. A huge grin split his features, and he engulfed Melisande in a big hug. "Melisande," he cried, happily, "You're back."

Melisande laughed as she returned the embrace. "Of course I'm back, you big lug. Did you think that I would just leave you behind without a word?"

Bernard didn't answer right away, but kissed her full on the mouth, a gesture which she returned wholeheartedly. One might have thought that the two of them had been separated for months instead of a mere few hours. However, they had not known when they would be seeing each other again; it was more to reassure themselves that they were both there, and not some phantom of a hopeful imagination.

However, the romance of the moment was broken when Seren cleared her thought. "I hate to interrupt you two love birds," she said, with an indulgent smile, "However, we do have a lot to get done."

"Yeah, right." said Bernard, "Like telling me what the heck you two are doing here? What happened to Kaitoia? When you two beamed up to the ship, it seemed like getting her some medical attention was your top priority."

Melisande fell silent, and her face grew troubled and said, "It's because of Kaitoia that we had to come back, Melisande."

"Oh no, she's dead, isn't she?"

"No, not yet. But I fear that her chances of recovery are slim, if at all possible. She is being taken back to Chandos IV to receive more specialized care, though it might be to late even for that."

"But, why are you here? You should be with her."

"Officially, we're not supposed to be here at all. But Kaitoia made us promise that we would come back to Earth and finished what we started."

"That includes telling Megamind, right? I mean, he really has to know the truth now, doesn't he?"

Melisande smiled grimly. "He needs to know several things, Bernard. He and Wayne need to know where they come from. I know that we just had a reunion, but there isn't time. Bernard, would you go and get Wayne and bring him to Roxanne's apartment by this morning?"

"Of course," Bernard looked in Melisande's eyes and said, "Melisande, why did you come back? What it just so you could finish your mission?"

Melisande put her arms around Bernard's neck, leaning her forward against his. "Bernard, no. I made a promise. I told you that I would return. A Nairian always keeps her promise. Especially when there's such incentive to fulfill them."

Bernard felt his heart soar at those words, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Thank you. That means so much to hear you say that."

The two shared a short, sweet kiss. That was all that they had time for, but it was more than enough. Besides, it held the promise of things to come. "I'll meet you at Roxanne's at 8:00." Said Melisande.

"I'll be there. But, what are you going to be doing in the meantime?"

"I've got the last mandatory visit to pay." Said Melisande, with an almost wicked glee. "I'm going to see an old friend."

* * *

The Metro City Prison for the Criminally Gifted lay quiet that night. It had seen a lot of action in the past few hours, though, as the agents from the Doom Syndicate had been processed, and Hal Stewart returned to his former holding cell. The former super villain had been under heavy guard. But, there was hardly any reason for him to be.

Hal seemed to have been permanently traumatized by his reemergence in the world. He seemed to think that there was an unseen enemy in every shadow, and the guards had even sometimes heard him muttering under his breath, strange things about an alien woman's black eyes and predatory nature. It was thought among many that Hal Stewart had finally lost his mind.

However, not even he could have suspected what awaited him when the Warden of the prison, Charles Hayworth (by now completely recovered, and back on the job), arrived at his cell and curtly told him that he had a visitor.

Hal made only feeble attempts at protest, since had been woken up, but to be truthful, he didn't have much fight left in him. He just sort of wanted to get on with it so he could get back to sleep. He didn't even bother to look to see who his visitor was, when he was ushered into the room. "He's here." said Charles, "Make it quick. We don't want him out of his cell for to long."

"Don't worry, Warden. What I have to say will not take long." The very instant that Hal heard that voice, a shiver passed down his spine, and he froze in terror. He looked behind him, and saw the same alien woman who had chased him through the streets of Metro City, beaten him to a pulp and pretty much humiliated him.

She was sitting casually in a chair, and her manner seemed perfectly composed. But, Hal could not miss the way that he eyes were glittering. She was clearly still very dangerous. She gestured to the hand cuffs. "You can remove those. They won't be necessary, and I'm sure that Hal would like to be comfortable for a few minutes."

Charles looked at her rather doubtfully, before he unlocked Hal's handcuffs and went out the door, leaving Hal alone with Melisande. Hal was shivering with terror. His mouth had gone dry and he found that he could make no sound. Melisande just looked at him, smirking coldly. "You know, I think prison suits you. Orange is really your color."

"Really?" said another voice, one that sounded faintly familiar, and from out of the shadows slithered an enormous golden snake. Hal almost groaned in despair, as if it could not have gotten any worse. Seren moved around Hal, eyeing him critically. "I'm not really sure I can agree."

"You really don't wear clothes, Seren." Said Melisande, "You might not have the best say in the matter."

Hal swallowed heavily, and he finally managed to squeak out. "Wh-what are you doing here? Are you here to kill me?"

Melisande laughed, and got to her feet. "Like I told you, Hal, killing you would be a complete waste of time. No, I just came to check on you. You know, make sure that you were adjusting well to being back in prison, that you didn't have any ideas about reliving your most recent escapade."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I think you know. Do you know what you are, Hal Stewart? You are a time bomb, the sort of person that everyone is always looking for. They see how dangerous you are and how easy you are to manipulate. It had happened to you twice, and both times you have to easily given into them. What I have come to here tonight to find out if you intend to make that same mistake again."

"Are you kidding me?" said Hal, in disbelief, "You don't honestly thing that I would actually listen to someone who came around offering to get me out? No, no way. I've been there, I've done that. After all I've been through, I know one thing for sure, it's safer in here, then it is out there."

"Good." Said Melisande, after a pause. "I will expect you to keep to that. We will be watching you."

"Hey, I will keep to it. I don't-" Hal stopped short and he paled, "Wait, did you say, we?"

"Yes. Oh, didn't I mention that? More of my kind is coming here to Earth. It seems that our activities in the battle have garnered attention, depend upon it, my people are coming to Earth, and none of them would be pleased if they found out that someone like you was giving our race a bad name."

Hal was trembling with terror. One person like Melisande had almost been enough to kill him. What more like her could do he did not want to think about. It might just be his worst nightmare.

"I'm glad that we understand each other." said Melisande, with a cold smile. She could tell by the silence that her message had gotten through. "Well, I believe that concludes our business. It was so nice to see you again. Seren don't suppose that you have anything to add?"

Seren slithered forward, her length increasing and growing, until she was able to look straight into Hal's terrified eyes. "It is only because you were not responsible for the harm which befell my Mistress that you are still alive. Never let me see your face again, either as Titian, or Hal Stewart."

That pretty much took care of any ability that Hal Stewart had to speak for pretty much the rest of the night, and perhaps the rest of the week. As Hayworth escorted Melisande (and Seren, who had shrunk her size to fit in her coat pocket) out of the prison, he said. "I am rather surprised that you were so easily able to control him. I thought that he might go off somehow when I took the cuffs off of him."

"How much trouble do you think he could be even if he tried?" said Melisande.

"Maybe not much, but I made the mistake of underestimating him once. I don't plan on doing it again, not until I'm sure that he's not a real threat."

Melisande smiled. "Oh, I don't think that he will be anymore trouble."

Hayworth glanced at her, before shaking his head. "I wish that I had your confidence. But, no more on that subject. The idea of Hal Stewart leaves a sour taste in my mouth. How is Kaitlin, by the way? I hear that she was badly injured by the attack?"

Melisande paused for a moment, wondering how best to answer that question without arousing any suspicion. "Ah well, she was sent to a hospital out of state. I don't know when she will all right again. But, we're hoping."

"I sure hope that she makes it. You know, it will strike you as strange but I almost feel like I owe her for something, though I can't be sure why."

Melisande smiled as they reached the entrance of the prison. "Many people feel that was about her, me included. She does have that about her, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she does. Do you have a ride?"

"Oh yes, don't you worry." As soon as Hayworth was gone, Melisande walked out to the street and as soon as she was sure that no one could see her, she took into the sky. Seren emerged from her pocket and wrapped herself around Melisande's shoulders the first light of dawn was beginning to make it's way onto the sky. "You really don't know that more Nairians will be coming to Earth." She pointed out.

Melisande smirked. "Perhaps not, but then, Hal didn't need to know that did he?"

"No, I guess that he doesn't." She became serious. "I assume that it is to Megamind's that we are going?"

"Yes, it's time that he knows what really happened."

* * *

This will probably be Hal's last appearence. Let's face it, the guy has pretty much been mopped up. I can't say that I feel sorry for him, of course. Anyway, please read and review.

Next chapter: Megamind is struggling to come to terms with his last encounter with Kaitoia. But answers are soon to come when he, Roxanne and Minion are paid a surprise visit from Melisande and Seren.


	4. The Truth

Sorry for the long wait between updates. I have started school and a job, and between those things and homework, I have been really busy, and I won't be able to update as often as I would like. I will still be working on this story however, so I appreciate your patience. But, enough of my rambling. Here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

The Truth:

It had been a long night. In Metro City, repair crews had been working to clear the rubble from the streets. But it was going to be a long time before the city could fully recover. Megamind had been strangely absent for the most part, but most thought that he had earned a break. They did not comment on it.

However, they could not have guessed the real reason for Megamind's retreat from the public eye. He knew what had happened during those final moments with Kaitoia, moments which he knew had changed him forever. He finally understood what had been happening between himself and Kaitoia had been no accident. It had been meant to be, a part of him since the day of his birth, and only now remembered. But, in the wake of this revelation had come something entirely new. He felt that he had more questions than he had ever had before and no sure way of finding answers. It was his reeling thoughts which kept him from sleeping that night in Roxanne's apartment. He had wanted to be close to her, especially after all that had happened that day. He felt like she was the last constant in his life that he had to cling to.

Unfortunately, he as not the only one being kept awake. "Megamind," said Roxanne, at about 2:30 in the morning, around which time, Megamind reckoned he had been awake about two hours. "If you want to talk, you should have said so hours ago, it would have saved us both a few wasted hours."

Megamind jumped, completely unaware that she had been awake. "Roxanne, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll just go out to the living room-"

Roxanne put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from leaving. "I know that something happened to you today, something that you've never gone through before. Don't shut me out, Sujan. Please, talk to me."

Megamind could never hold out long against Roxanne, especially when she so earnestly spoke his given name. "I'm so confused, Roxanne. I-I can't get those last few comments with Kaitoia out of my head."

"I know. I keep thinking about it, too. It all happened so fast. I still can't believe that two aliens managed to live incognito among us for nearly six months."

"But, it's more than that for me, Roxanne. Seeing Kaitoia go, it made me feel like I had lost part of myself."

"What do you mean?"

Megamind was at a loss to explain. How could he describe to Roxanne those last few moments with Kaitoia, how she had pushed those memories into his mind, and helped him to see her truly for the first time? How could he explain the joy and elation he had felt when he realized he hasn't actually alone, only for that euphoria to be dashed when he thought he would be losing it again?

"Roxanne, Kaitoia is like me, I'm certain of it. She's a Tandaren. And I think she was supposed to be something else as well?"

"And if she dies, or doesn't come back, you're a fraud that you'll never know the truth."

Megamind nodded. "Yes, this is the closest that I've ever come to having answers. I don't know if I want to go back to just plain ignorance."

Roxanne put her arms around Megamind. "Sujan, I can't claim to feel half of what you're going through. But I can guarantee you that you won't have to go through it alone, Sujan. I'm here, and so is Minion. You're not alone, Sujan. That's one thing you'll never have to be afraid of."

Megamind felt his heart swell with love when he heard those words. It was sometimes still a surprise for him how much his life had changed. E had never thought that he would be able to find a person who truly cared for him. "I love you, Roxanne."

"I love you too, Sujan."

* * *

It was about 8:00 when Minion stirred. He had stayed over at Roxanne's apartment, sleeping on the couch. He could understand his Master's desire to want to stay close at his girlfriend. The traumatic events of the battle with Typhoon had affected them all. He hadn't wanted to be alone.

He got to his feet and stretched the kinks out of his mechanical suit. He tried to be quite as he had a suspicion that Roxanne and Sir would be sleeping off their exhaustion from the previous day. However, he saw no harm in preparing their breakfast when hey woke up.

However, when he was getting out the pan in order to start making pancakes, he was completely startled when he saw Melisande's smiling face right in from of him, on the other side of the glass window, thirty stories up. "Morning, Minion." She said, cheekily, "Mind if I come in?"

Minion was so startled by this unexpected appearance, that he nearly dropped the pan which had had been carrying. He gaped at Melisande, unable to form any words due to his complete shock. Melisande suddenly disappeared, only to pop up seconds later in front of the balcony. It was only then that Minion noticed that she was floating at least two feet above the ground. Did that mean that she had flown up? That didn't seem possible, and yet, there was the proof that she was doing it right in front of him.

He really had no idea what the right course of action was supposed to be, but than again, Minion was always inherently polite. Once he managed to get over his surprise, he came over to the doors that led out onto the balcony and opened them. He still couldn't think of anything coherent to say. Melisande literally breezed into the room, landed in the living room and turned to Minion, with her usual dazzling smile. "Good Morning, Minion. How are you? I trust that there were no lingering injuries to Roxanne and Megamind in light of the battle yesterday."

Minion really couldn't form a coherent sentence yet, still trying to get over his shock at seeing Melisande. And his shock was only compounded when he heard a new voice joining the conversation. "I don't think that there is anything to worry about, Melisande. If there had been any severe injuries, Minion would not be here at Roxanne's apartment."

A second later, a golden snake appeared to unwrap itself around Melisande's body. By the time the snake was fully visible, Minion recognized her as the snake that had been glued to Kaitoia's side when she had been injured. Seren slithered over to Minion, her height increasing, so that she could look him in the eye. "Well, I must say that I am impressed." She said, after studying him for a matter, "You certainly have come a long way from that little water bowl that you used to roll around in."

This caught Minion's attention. "What are you talking about?"

"You mean, you don't remember me? I might have thought that you would have once you saw me in my true form. But then, I suppose that we did only meet for one week at the very beginning of Megamind's life. I knew you as Chota, then."

The mention of Minion's true name caused him name to drop open. "Chota? You know my name. But how-" Until he suddenly remembered a memory that he had not thought on for a very long time. The memory of that last time that his Master had been with his family before that terrible tragedy which had driven them both to earth. "Wait, you were the Minion of my Master's sister. I remember now. But what are you doing here? How can you even be here?"

"I have been here the entire time that my Mistress was here. I had to conceal my presence form you. I'm afraid that the appearance of a golden talking snake would have raised some questions, don't you think?"

"Uh, yes, I suppose so. But that still doesn't answer the larger question of why you're here."

"That's exactly the very question that we have come to answer." Said Melisande, "Where are Roxanne and Megamind? Are they here?"

Minion nodded, and was about to respond that they were most likely still sleeping, when they heard the bedroom door opening, and Roxanne's voice saying, "Minion, is everything all right? Megamind and I heard you talking to someone, and…"

Roxanne and Megamind appeared, and like Minion, they were more or less stunned to see Melisande and Seren standing in their living room. Melisande smiled and said, "Good morning, you two. I'm sorry that we dropped in unexpectedly like this, but I trust that it's not an unwelcome interruption."

Roxanne was the first to recover. "What in the world are you doing here?" she demanded, "We all saw you being beamed up to some sort of alien space vessel, with Kaitoia, and now you're here again? What is this?"

"I know that you all have questions, Roxanne, and Seren and I will do our best to answer them. just wait a little longer. I still need to wait for Wayne and Bernard to arrive."

"Wayne and Bernard?" Megamind asked, "What does this have to do with them?"

The doorbell suddenly went off. "Oh, speak of the devil, that must be them now." Melisande went over to the door, and opened it. Sure enough, Wayne and Bernard were standing there, Wayne looking more than a little befuddled as to the reason why he was even there.

"Melisande," he said, when the two of them came into the room. "What are you doing here? How's Kaitoia? Is she all right?"

"Kaitoia is stable," said Melisande, a bit hesitantly. "Unfortunately, she is also still in grave condition. It's actually on her request that Seren and I came back. She wanted to make sure that we completed our mission."

"And what mission is that, exactly?" said Roxanne.

Melisande shook her head, suddenly realizing that she had a lot of material to cover, and a rather difficult idea of how to start. "Look, maybe we should all sit down, and I'll start from the beginning."

This seemed like the best suggestion, so they all sat down in the living room. "So, I don't suppose that I have to tell any of you that Kaitoia, Seren and I are not originally from earth. None of us are human. We came to this planet in order to scout out the possibility of establishing a first contact with your species. However, events moved in such a way that our plans changed."

"The battle with Typhoon and the DOOM Syndicate you mean?" said Megamind, "Yes, I can see that would have interfered a bit with whatever your plans were."

"But if you were here for a first contact, why did you even get involved with us?" Roxanne asked, "I thought that in situations like this, aliens were supposed to keep out of human conflicts."

Melisande smiled. "And you have much experience with alien first contacts, do you, or is it just from watching Star Trek that you have acquired your knowledge?"

"Touché, good point." Said Roxanne, with a sheepish grin.

"The truth is that we were supposed to observe, and perhaps we become more involved emotionally than we were supposed to." She was looking at Bernard when she said this, and her meaning was clear. "Kaitoia, herself, was most insistent that we try to keep such ties at a minimum, but she did not have a choice in the matter."

"What do you mean?" said Roxanne.

Megamind had been silent as he processed all of this, but now as he listened and remembered all that he had gone through with Kaitoia, the answer which had always been in the back of his mind was gradually coming to the fore. He knew exactly what Melisande was attempting to say, and the very realization floored him.

Seren was looking at Megamind intently, and she could see that it was becoming clear to him what his connection to Kaitoia was. "I think Megamind knows." She said.

"Yes, I do." said Megamind, quietly. "Kaitoia, she's my sister, isn't she?"

Seren merely nodded. "Tandaren siblings form intense bonds with each other from nearly the very day that they are born. What you were feeling in her presence was that bond reasserting herself. As she is the elder, she felt compelled to protect you no matter what the danger to herself. And you were always seeking for her advice and approval. It is the way of all Tandarens. But Kaitoia had no idea what was going on, which was why she tried to reject it."

Megamind say back in his chair, his mind reeling. Now that he new fully what Kaitoia was to him, he hardly could form a coherent thought. Was he supposed to feel joy that he had known a member of his family, or grief that it might even now be snatched from his grasp? Roxanne herself hardly knew what to say either. Suddenly all of the times that Megamind and Kaitoia had spent together, the manner which came so easily to them made so much sense. It was exactly the same way that she behaved with her own brother, especially Greg. She now wondered how she could have so easily missed it.

"I believe that is why Kaitoia wanted to send Melisande and I back." Said Seren, "Once their people hear about this incident, there was a good chance that they would have canceled a first contact. She knew that we had come to earth for a reason, and she at least did not want to leave you alone without ever knowing the truth."

"And what is the truth, exactly?" said Megamind, "What happened all those years ago? How did my planet and that of Wayne become destroyed?"

Melisande looked at Seren. "Seren can give you a fuller account than I can. She was actually there. She saw it."

Seren's eyes grew troubled. "Yes, I did see it. I saw it all happen. I stood by the side of my Mistress and watched our planets burn in the fading fires of our dying sun. It is not something that I have ever enjoyed remembering. But it is time that both of you learned where you truly came from."

* * *

Please read and review.

Next chapter: A flashback to Armageddon. We already know how Megamind sees the last few moments of his planet's death. Now, see it from Kaitoia's point of view.


	5. Armagadden

Let me just say first of all, sorry for the long update between chapters. There is not a lot of time to update in my life right now, what with school and work pretty much dominating every waking memory. Still, don't worry. I am still working on this story and I don't intend to give up on it anytime soon.

That being said, this chapter is a little sad, as it describes the destruction of the two planets from Kaitoia's point of view. Still, hope that you enjoy it.

Armageddon:

_28 years previously, the system of the planets Tandara and Nyra_

It seemed to start like a dream; it ended as a living nightmare. It had been a noble idea, one made with the best intentions. The star which provided life to the planets of Nyra and Tandara was dying. It was uncertain when that event would take place, and it was that uncertainty which had driven the development of the Great Experiment, a joint effort by the scientists from both planets in order to prolong the life of the star in order to give the races time to put together a fool-proof plan for relocation.

However, there are some laws of nature which are not meant to be tampered with. In this case, what had been meant to by time in order to save lives turned into an unmitigated disaster.

Kaitoia would never be able to say what triggered her reaction to events. She had been in her quarters aboard one of the ships in orbit around Tandara. As Gargi was one of its officers, she had lived in space for the last few years as she received her training. She had been with her family for the last week to celebrate the birth of her brother. It had been a sort visit, but she hoped that it wouldn't be long before she saw them again. But as the countdown to the Experiment's beginning reached zero, she began to have a terrible sense that something had gone wrong.

She had been in the quarters that she shared with Gargi, one of the science officers aboard one of the Tandaren vessels. She had been sent there yesterday in order to continue her Gifted training with the renowned Seer. Kaitoia had not been particularly interested in the Great Experiment. Like most children her age, she was really too young to understand the epic times in which she lived. However, she soon found that she was being pulled to witness what was about to happen. Her mental abilities meant that she could sense the sudden increase in terror, confusion and panic that was spreading across the planets and the fleet in orbit above them.

It was these tremors of emotion that she felt drew to go to the bridge in order to discover what was going on. The bridge of the vessel was in a state of chaos. Alarms were going off, communication station were beeping and buzzing, all the crew members seemed to be talking at once, and on the main view screen, the great star of the system was glowing dully, but across it's surface, dark spots were spreading across it's surface, whirlpools of black energy that seemed to be consuming the entire star.

The Captain, a Tandaren male by the name of Algar, was shouting at his science officer, and his voice soon became clearer to her ears. "Tiela, talk to me. What is happening out there? Tell me how we lost all contact with the surface of both Nyra Tandara?"

Tiela, a Nairian female, sounded like she was in utter shock. "Sir, I can't explain it. The amount of dark matter coming from the star is off the charts. It wasn't supposed to be this high. It's almost like…" Her eyes grew wide; a look of horror came into her face. "This can't be. It's impossible."

"Tiela, what is it?"

Tiela turned around to look at Algar. "Sir, the star, it's collapsing. A singularity is opening, and the planets are moving towards it. They will be consumed by it."

All activity on the bridge seemed to freeze, for the sharp hearing of both species had all caught this terrible pronouncement, and they could hardly believe that they were about to witness the Armageddon of their planets.

"How long?" asked Algar, after a moment of silence.

"I don't know, sir. Minutes at most."

Algar immediately turned to his communication officer. "Get me communications back. All the other ships, the governments, planet-wide evacuations need to commence right now."

It seemed as though the chaos of a few seconds before had been kicked into another level. But for Kaitoia, she saw none of it. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Seren could not even get through to her. For in Kaitoia's mind, she had been transported to the surface of the planet of Tandara, where everything had come apart. Panic seeped to have swept over all of its citizens. Everyone was running in every direction, as they tried to find some sort of shelter or escape from the inevitable disaster.

All except two. Her mother and father, Aliyah and Ciqala, were running to one of the launch bays in the space center. Her father worked there, and he had been one of those in charge of monitoring the traffic patterns of the ships in orbit. Her mother had also been there, along with so many others to watch the outcome of the Experiment which had their only hope of salvation. Kaitoia seemed to be running along beside them, a phantom that was powerless to do anything to help the family that she loved.

"Hurry," said Ciqala, "there isn't much time."

It was only then that Kaitoia saw that Ciqala was carrying Sujan, while her mother cradled the water filled globe of Chota. They were running towards one of the smaller launch bays, where unmanned pods normally used for research were stored. There was room enough for the tiny Sujan and Chota. Kaitoia suddenly realized that they intended to send Sujan into space, away from the destruction. It was the only way that he would be able to survive.

They arrived at the pod, and they placed Sujan inside. Sujan looked understandably very confused, and Kaitoia could only imagine what he must be thinking. Though he was at an age where he could understand what was being said to him and simple concepts such as bath time and bed time, a planet destroying disaster was understandably totally beyond his range of experience. "Here is your Minion." Said Aliyah, as she handed Sujan Chota, "He will take care of you."

"And here is your binky." Said Ciqala, as he put Sujan's glowing toy into the baby's mouth. Mother and father looked at their only son, hope and pride shining in their eyes, and as the pod closed, Ciqala said the final words that his son would ever hear from him. "You are destined for greatness."

The pod shot off into the sky, leaving behind the imminent destruction of the planet. Ciqala and Alyiah stood, their arms around each other, heedless of the chaos around them. Kaitoia could feel their peace radiating off of them, the peace that came from knowing that their final moments would be spent together. And she heard their final thoughts.

"_He will live and he will thrive."_ Said Alyiah.

"_It wasn't the best ending for us, but as it stands, they will both have a chance_._" _Said Ciqala.

"_Yes, Gargi will take care of her, so will Seren. I only wish that she could have been here to say goodbye."_

Ciqala looked off to the side, and Kaitoia could have sworn that he was looking straight at her. _"Somehow, I think that she was here."_

Aliyah turned to look in the same direction as her husband and she smiled, sadly. _"Goodbye, Kaitoia. We love you, never forget that."_

Kaitoia had never felt so utterly helpless. She knew that she was watching her parents die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She wanted to scream, cry, do anything. But she was frozen in the realm between physical and spiritual presence. She could not even open her mouth to say goodbye.

And then, there was only agony. Kaitoia felt herself falling through space, bonds of steel that she had thought would always be there to support her were now cut as easily as if they were blades of grass. The presence of her family was suddenly gone, leaving only an impenetrable and awful emptiness. She tried to look for some way to escape, but it was all around her, crushing her very soul.

Her experience was only microcosm of what had happened outside. The fleet of mixed Tandaren and Nairian ships had been forced to go into warp speed to escape the gravitational pull of the black hole. But they all still watched at the black hole sucked up their home planets, and the billions of lives that could not escape in time. A numb silence descended upon them all, and even if they would have liked to avert their eyes, they could not. In just a few short seconds, the fates of two species had been unalterably changed.

Kaitoia herself was unmindful of any of this. All she felt was a dampening of the pain that she had been drowning in, and she found herself hurtling upwards towards the light. What she remembered next, was Gargi's concerned face hovering in her line of sight. "Kaitoia, Kaitoia, can you hear me? Say something?"

Kaitoia realized subconsciously that both Seren and Gargi were shielding her mind lest she become overwhelmed. But she could not speak. She could only make incoherent sounds of grief. "She will not be speaking at all for awhile." Said Seren, compassionately. She would herself around Kaitoia's wrist and gave a gentle pull. "Mistress, come, come away. There is nothing more that we can do here."

Kaitoia numbly followed. She would never forget what she had witnessed that day, nor would any other Tandaren or Nairian who had witnessed the final Armageddon of the worlds they had called home.

* * *

_Earth, Present Day…._

The tale had been told in utter silence, and when Seren had finished it, no one could speak for many minutes. No one could fail to be moved by the story. Wayne looked as though he were about to cry, and Minion was making no attempt to hide the tears which were streaming down his face. Megamind himself looked as though he had been touched in a place beyond tears, as memories long buried made their way to the surface. Roxanne herself was so touched, that she didn't know what to say.

Finally, Seren spoke, "My poor Mistress, for days, she neither slept nor ate. She simply sat, staring into space. For years, she was not the same. And it was only with her marriage that I think she was able to move on and heal a little. Still, the image of that day haunts her, as it does everyone who was alive to witness it."

"What happened after that?" said Megamind, "Some of you survived. There has to be a home base where you came here from."

"The survivors of both species found refuge in the Chandos system." Said Melisande, "It's about twelve light years from here. We have two colonies set up there, and we are slowly beginning to rebuild our heritage again. It will take us many years to recover."

"So there are others, like Megamind?" Roxanne questioned in amazement.

"Yes, many more. And many more Nairians as well." said Melisande.

"How did you even discover us?" asked Megamind, "Surely the affairs one planet couldn't be of much use to you when you were in the process of reestablishing a new colony."

"We had known of the existence of your planet for quite some time." said Seren, "The idea of first contact had been a vague idea for our races, once we felt secure enough in our new colony. However, it was only when we discovered you and Wayne that we began to understand that there might be greater things at stake. We actually intercepted the saga of your epic conflict from the various news stations."

"That was how you discovered that there were two aliens living on earth?" said Megamind, who had to admit that he was more than a little embarrassed that the first introduction two alien races had had to earth had been what was little more than a childhood quarrel gone completely out of control.

Seren smiled. "Yes, actually. It was quite entertaining."

"What will happen, when they realize that you're here?" said Bernard, "Will they force you to go back?"

Melisande shook her head. "That I can't tell you I'm afraid. Kaitoia wanted this first contact to happen more than anything. From what I have seen of your species, I think that there could be much to learn from our races. Our leaders might see it differently, however. That is why we need you."

"What could Megamind or I possibly do to change the minds of two races that we haven't even met?"

"Both you and Wayne have more experience living amongst humans than anyone else." said Melisande, "Maybe if you talked to them, told them of your experiences, you might be able to persuade them."

"And what about Kaitoia?" Megamind asked, quietly. "Will she be able to survive?"

Melisande and Seren were silent. Seren finally answered, "I don't know what chance there is of saving my Mistress. Her injuries were severe, to the point where here body cannot begin to heal itself."

Megamind looked down, a few tears beginning to gather in his eyes. He had hope that he would be able to truly know Kaitoia as his sister. There had been so much that he had wanted to ask her, so much that he had wanted to know, that he would now never be able to experience.

In this aftermath of this revelation, there was not much else to be said. It was now a waiting game to see what would happen. And for the future, there could be nothing certain about the fate of all its players.

* * *

Please read and review.

Next chapter: On Chandos IV, Kaitoia has arrived in critical condition. Kerestan is about to lose all hope, until he learns of a person who might be able to save her, on earth. Risking it all to save the woman he loves, Kerestan will contact Megamind to plead for his help.


	6. The Only Way

Here are two more chapters of Brave New World. The story is now shifting into the next section. A lot of changes are coming for our main characters. Enjoy!

The Only Way:

No one could have predicted how the voyage to Earth would return to the native Chandos system. At best, it would have been a time of great celebration, as a first contact with an alien race would have brought with it new horizons to explore. At worst, it was thought that there would be no success, and that a first contact was not possible. However, the worst turned out to be bleaker than anyone could have predicted.

When Algar's ship returned to the Chandos system, a firestorm broke. First, a potential diplomatic crisis became evident when it became evident that the daughter of the High Matriarch had been left on earth. Though it soon became clear that Algar had had no knowledge of the affair, it still was serious. Without back up from their own kind, if Melisande and Seren were identified, the consequences could be life threatening for them.

For some, the return was even more personal and heartrending. Kaitoia's condition had not worsened, nor had it improved. The medically induced coma had only delayed the inevitable. When she was transported from the ship to the medical facilities on Chandos IV, the doctors soon concluded that she would not be able to repair the damage to her heart on her own. It was only a matter of time before she died.

Kerestan was utterly devastated. Having been living in uncertainty for the past few days, a small part of him had hoped that it would turn not out like this. As he sat by the beside of his comatose wife, watching her sleeping with so many monitors hooked up to her, he could feel his heart breaking slowly. He knew that their time together was numbered. He would most likely give the order for her to be taken off life support sometime in the next few days. It was simply to painful watching her suffer like this. She deserved a peaceful end. But still, he wanted to be able to say goodbye properly. This was the only way that he could do that.

"I am truly sorry, Sir." Said Jocasta, as she crawled over in her spider suit.

"It's strange." Said Kerestan, seeming not to have heard Jocasta, "We have been together for so long, and yet, now, it seems like we have so much yet to experience. Time is never enough for those who love."

"She would not want you to despair, Sir." Said Jocasta, "I know that. You must be strong."

"I know that, and I shall be. Just give me some time right now, Jocasta."

"Of course, Sir. I'll be right outside if you need me."

"And all throughout these hard days." Said Kerestan, with a fond, little smile at his loyal Minion, "You are truly a blessing to me during times like this, Jocasta. Where would I be without you?"

Jocasta returned the smile, before she turned and discretely withdrew from the room. Alone with Kaitoia, Kerestan could now only fully give into his sadness. He turned back to the bed. Tears stung his eyes as he stared at her body. Kaitoia had been his life for so very long. She had such strength and resolve, and outlived things that might have broken so many others. The thought of life without her was bleak dark.

"Oh, Kaitoia," he said, softly, as he took her hand and gently began to stroke it, "Why did it have to end like this? I love you so much, I should have told you that more. You don't know what I would do, what I would risk to give you a chance at coming back."

It was this moment that something very strange happened. The bond which had been cemented when Kerestan and Kaitoia had been mated had been hanging by a precarious string ever since the accident on Earth. Now, it surged back to life for a brief few seconds. Kerestan gasped in surprise, and he was even more surprised when he heard Kaitoia's desperate voice echoing in his mind. _"Kerestan, Kerestan, is that you?"_

"_Kaitoia, but how-?"_

"_My body is in a coma, Kerestan; I still have some sense of what is going on in the world around me. You have to help me."_

"_But, Kaitoia, you must know that's impossible. You're body is beyond repair."_

"_No, I know how to do it: a cellular transplant." _

Kerestan knew what Kaitoia was talking about. It was a common enough procedure that had been developed by the Nairians. It involved taking the cellular DNA of a matching donor and transferring it into the body of a patient. In theory, the similarity between the DNA of the two would enable the injuries of the patient to heal itself. The challenge of the procedure came from the fact that the match had to be near perfect, and had to come from the organ that needed to be healed.

"_But Kaitoia, matching the DNA for the heart is the most difficult to match. You would need a member of your family for it to work and your family is…"_

"_No, not all of them. My brother, Sujan. He's alive. He's Megamind."_

Without any warning, the link between them was abruptly cut off. Kerestan was thrust violently back into the present moment. Gasping for breath, he looked down at Kaitoia. She seemed not to have moved at all, as though the entire last few seconds had been nothing but a dream. But, when he happened to glance at the scanner that was keeping track of her brain wave patterns, he saw that their had been an intense spike in activity. It had been no dream. It could only mean one thing: Kaitoia had been trying to contact him.

But what had she meant when she had said that Megamind would be able to save her? When he remembered all of the strange echoes that he had been picking up through his mating bond with Kaitoia, he realized what he should have known all along: Kaitoia had found her brother on earth. He was none other then Megamind.

New hope grew within Kerestan when e realized this. Surely, if Megamind were Kaitoia's brother, he would be able to save her. His DNA would be similar enough to her's to enable a transfer. But he knew that there was not much time. Already Kaitoia's life was slipping away. Megamind could very well be her last hope.

There was only one thing to do. With renewed strength and determination, he rose to his feet and hurried for the door. Jocasta had been waiting outside, and she seemed startled to see him. "Sir, what's the matter? Is everything all right?" She could see from the look on his face that something dramatic had occurred since the time she had left him.

"Come on, Jocasta. I'll tell you all about it on the way."

"But, where are we going, Sir?"

"Chancellor Danara, I need to get her permission to contact earth. Kaitoia's future depends on it."

* * *

Unfortunately, Kerestan would be getting no help from the High Council or the Chancellor Danara. In the aftermath of Algar's return from the truncated first contact mission, the Council and the General Assembly on Chandos III had been in an uproar. Objections and counter objections had been raised over the best course of action.

The dissenting voices were certainly loud enough that Danara had to listen to them. When Kerestan made his request to contact Earth and Megamind, she told him that she could not take the risk. She may not have believed the paranoid ramblings of some on the Council, but there were still too many unknowns.

Kerestan stormed from the room, his former grief of a few hours before now having turned to rage. He could not believe that Danara was allowing herself to be swayed by petty arguments when a potential chance to save Kaitoia seemed within reach. Had he been in a calmer mood he might have seen the logic of caution, but at the moment, he did not really care about the greater good.

Jocasta was only barely managing to keep him with him. "Sir, you have to be patient."

Kerestan turned on her with a vicious snarl. "Patient? You council me to be patient while the Chancellor does absolutely nothing to help someone who is not only a personal friend to her, but a great asset to the remnants of our people. Gifteds such as Kaitoia are too rare to simply let them go without a fight."

"Is that the only reason you think that Kaitoia should be saved?"

Kerestan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "No, Jocasta, it is not. This is the only way to save Kaitoia. If it is not taken, I know that she'll die, and if she does, I don't know how I can go on."

"Well, then," said Jocasta, in the customary, business like manner which symbolized Minions of her race. "You must consider your options, mustn't you?"

Kerestan looked at her, slightly mystified. "What are you implying, Jocasta?"

"Only that, in my capacity as Minion, I would advise you not to contact Earth, as it would be a direct violation of a command which your leader has given you." When Kerestan started to object, Jocasta held up on fin and said, "However, that does not mean that you cannot let someone else do it for you."

Kerestan was silent for a moment, and then a smile appeared on his face, a small one, it was true, but the first one of hope that he had had ever since Kaitoia's return. "What would you suggest?"

"You do have a sister who works in communications, do you not? In fact, she is the head of communication on Chandos IV. If anyone should know how to get a message out without being detected, than surely it would be here."

"But, in order to get a signal to Earth, it would need more power than what we can transmit from here."

"Then you need to find someone willing to boost the signal. From what Danara said, Algar is going back to Earth this very afternoon to retrieve Melisande and Seren. If he happened to send a message through the communications systems on his ship, combined with Takeria's know how in covering the signal from prying eyes, you just might be able to get what you want."

Kerestan was not slow to take up her meaning. "Jocasta, have I ever told you that you are quite possibly the finest example of your kind?"

"Oh, don't get all sweet on me." said Jocasta, "Let's just hurry and get this plan together before it is too late to do anything else."

* * *

Understandably, Takeria, Kerestan's sister, was not altogether thrilled when she heard what Kerestan wanted her to do. "You want me to potentially lose my position just so you can contact some outcast Tandaren that you've never met before, on the soul chance that he can save Kaitoia?" She asked him in disbelief, that evening at Kerestan's house, when he made the request of her.

"I know that it's a lot to ask, Takeria." Said Kerestan, "But you're the only link that I have to earth. Algar has already agreed to it, but I need you to boost the signal."

"Kerestan, you don't even know if the cellular transfer could work. You don't even know if what Kaitoia told you was true. She is under heavy anesthetic, she could have been hallucinating."

"Takeria, I know my wife. She knows what she's talking about." He got to his feet and started pacing. "Believe me, Takeria, I wouldn't be asking you this if I didn't think that there was a good chance it would work."

Takeria sighed, and rose to her feet. "Are you certain that there is no other way?"

"No," said Kerestan, "this is the only way. Takeria, please, help me to save my wife."

Takeria looked into her brother's eyes. The bond that existed between all Tandaren siblings was now simmering with desperation and pleading. That, more than anything could inspire action in the other, even they didn't know what they know if it was the right course of action.

"All right, meet me tomorrow at the ninth hour in the communications room. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Takeria. You don't know what this means to me."

Takeria smiled at her brother. "I think perhaps I can. I just hope that you know what you're doing."

"As do I, Takeria, as do I."


	7. The Plea

The Plea:

_Earth_

Megamind's Lair had become the temporary refuge of Melisande and Seren. Now that they had returned to Earth, but had no real means yet of returning home, they had needed a place to stay where they would be safe and hidden. It was nearly a week after the attack of the DOOM Syndicate, when both Seren and Minion, who had found common ground in their mutual status as Minion, began to hear strange signals coming through some of Megamind's satellites in orbit. The two of them called up Melisande, Roxanne and Megamind to let them hear it for themselves.

It did not take Melisande very long to detect a very familiar pattern. "I know that signal. It's coming from Tandara."

Megamind looked at her, impressed. "You can tell that?"

Melisande shrugged. "Hearing that can detect sound waves well above that of most other species. It can come in handy everyone in awhile." She turned to the instrument panel, where the readouts were continuing to come out. "I might be able to isolate this a little more so that we can know who precisely it is that we are dealing with."

As Melisande and Seren were more familiar with the intricacies of Tandaren communications, the three of them let them take care of that aspect of the operation. After a few minutes, Seren said, "I recognize that signal, it's coming from Kerestan."

"Kerestan?" said Megamind, "Kaitoia's husband? The one that you told me about?"

"Yes, that's him."

"Why on earth would he be calling me all the way from Chandos IV?" said Megamind.

"I have no idea." Said Melisande, "But this signal is coming directly from Chandos IV, and it's being rerouted through another receiver to amplify the signal. Such an operation takes an incredible amount of power. He's risking a lot by trying to contact earth."

"Can you clear up the signal?" Roxanne asked.

"I can try." Said Melisande.

Together the two began to work on evening out the signal. Luckily, Megamind's computers were incredibly advanced, and were soon able to process the incoming data. With a whir and whiz of machinery, the transmission was able to come through, and there stood another Tandaren male in the room.

Kerestan's form flickered in and out of view, an indication of how weak the signal was. However, when he caught sight of Melisande and Seren, his smile was warm and relieved.

"Seren, it is a relief to see you unharmed." Said Kerestan with a smile, "And you as well, Melisande. I can only assume that the two of you are not being held against your will, being tested on by humans in some secret military base."

"Far from it, I can assure you." said Melisande.

Megamind had never thought that he would see one of his kind alive again. Now seeing one, even in the form of a holographic transmission momentarily made him frozen with indecision. What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say? Seren, perhaps noticing his uncertainty, went over to him and said, "Go ahead, Megamind. He won't bite. You'll have to get a bit closer, I'm afraid that he can't see you this far away."

"All right." said Megamind, burying his feelings of doubt and squaring his shoulders. He came towards the hologram, and Kerestan seemed to see his approach. He turned to face him.

"Are you Sujan?"

Megamind's was not used to being asked that in such a forthright manner. Only Roxanne and Minion knew his true name. So, he stumbled a little bit in his answer. "I-Yes, I am."

"My name is Kerestan. I am your sister's husband. I regret that we have to meet in this manner. I would have preferred better circumstances." His face grew grave and he said, "I have contacted you at no small risk to myself, but I do it on behalf of one that I know we both love. Kaitoia is dying."

Megamind felt his heart sink. He had been told by both Seren and Melisande that Kaitoia's condition was grave and she would most likely not survive. However, actually hearing it confirmed killed whatever hopes he might have had. "So, they have not been able to reverse the damage that was done to her heart because of her injuries."

"No, however, there might be a way that you can save her."

"Me? What I could possibly do? I am quite literally worlds away from her."

"But how far would you be willing to go to save her?"

Megamind paused and thought about this. He had only known for certain that Kaitoia was his sister for a few days, but he had always known that there was something special about him. He had always felt, from the first moment he met her, that she was one of the few people who had ever completely understood him. Even in his relationship with Roxanne, there had been a time when they had hid their true feelings in the dynamic of villain and victim (though Roxanne had never been that much of a victim). But with Kaitoia, he had never hid anything, it had all been revealed. He knew that he couldn't turn his back on something like that, not when it meant holding onto the only family he had ever truly known.

"I would do anything that I could."

"Then, you must listen to me, because the method I suggest is not easy, nor is it without danger. There is a procedure, developed through the work of Nairian scientists. It is known as DNA cellular transfer. It is a technique whereby the DNA of the host is grafted onto that of the patient. The DNA needs to be from the same organ and there must be a near match if it is to succeed. As Kaitoia's closest living family member, you would be the only logical choice to make this work."

Megamind was silent. "You mean, that I would have to go to your home world?"

"Yes."

"But how? I can't go to your home world. Not even I can build a space ship capable of getting me there in time."

"If you agree to come, I can take care of that. There is already a ship coming to Earth, to bring back Melisande and Seren. I have arranged it with the captain, a friend of mine, to switch their bio signatures, with your own. They will then take you back to Chandos IV."

Megamind looked at Kerestan closely. "You're trying to tell me that you managed to convince several people in power to arrange this pick-up so that I could save my sister?"

Kerestan shifted, and admitted a bit reluctantly, "No, they do not know it. That's why there is a certain element of risk, both to you and myself. And I will be honest; there might not be a chance that the transfer would work. You could be risking quite a lot for nothing. I will not say anything else; all I ask is that you make your best choice."

"Yes, of course. Excuse me, just one moment."

Megamind stepped back from Kerestan and moved several paces away from any of the others. His mind was awhirl with confusion. He wanted to go, oh how he wanted to. He wanted to try and save Kaitoia, he wanted to have her in his life. And the prospect of seeing other Tandarens, others like him when he had thought he was the last. The prospect of nearly a whole world of Tandarens, even if only the scattered remnants on a colony world, filled with him a sense of wonder that he had never before felt. But how could he leave his responsibilities behind him? He had to protect the people of Metro City? What would they think of him if he simply disappeared? And then, there was Roxanne, he couldn't leave her behind. He felt torn, wanting to go and wanting to stay, for both places now held a claim upon his heart.

However, it was Roxanne herself who made the choice for him. She sensed his confusion and his turmoil. Going over to him, she placed her hands on his shoulder and said, "Megamind, you have to do this. You have to go."

"Roxanne, how can I-?"

"Megamind, Sujan," said Roxanne, tenderly, "You have to do this. It's your right. I know that if it were me, and this chance came up, I would let nothing stand in my way. You have the chance to see your past, Sujan. You deserve to have that chance."

It was times like this when Megamind wondered how he had been so fortunate to have a woman like Roxanne fall in love with him. Right now, she was willing to let him go on this journey, which would quite literally take him far away from him. And there was always the chance, that it wouldn't be successful. Maybe, he might not even return. And yet, Roxanne was urging him to go. It was then that he began to wonder why it had to be that way. After all, three aliens had visited this planet; why could not a human come to the Chandos system?

Megamind nodded to Roxanne and smiled at her, before stepping back into Kerestan's line of sight. "Kerestan, I would like to come and help my… my sister. But I have a request. I don't know if I should be going there alone. I want to know if I would be allowed to bring Roxanne and my own Minion along."

Roxanne and Minion exchanged shocked looks. They clearly hadn't been expecting this. Even Kerestan seemed a bit surprised. He took a few moments to think about it, before he said, "Just trying to get you onboard the ship without arousing suspicion will be a challenge. However, I cannot ask you to make such a sacrifice without allowing you to bring your family with you. Yes, you may bring them. I will see to it myself that the captain of the ship on the way to Earth knows that he will have to additional passengers."

"Thank you, Kerestan. You can't know what that means to me."

Kerestan managed a smile. "Oh, I actually think that I can. In you is the only chance to save Kaitoia. I would be willing to provide much more if there was even a chance. You should be getting a signal similar to this one within the next 48 hours of your time. Melisande will be able to decode it. Be ready at that time."

"We will be." said Megamind.

Kerestan nodded. "I look forward to getting to met you in person." He said, before his image faded.

Silence filled the room for a few seconds, before Roxanne said, "Megamind, did you just volunteer me and Minion to go to an alien planet that none of us even knew existed until a few days ago?"

Megamind suddenly realized that perhaps he should have asked Roxanne if she wanted to go before he just volunteered her presence. "Well, yes, I suppose I did. I'm sorry; I suppose that I should have asked first. It's just that I-"

To his surprise, a smile appeared on Roxanne's face. "Megamind, don't worry about it. Actually, now that I think about it, this could be the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me. Imagine, being the first human to visit an alien planet. It's beyond my wildest dreams."

"Sir, are you sure that this is safe?" Minion asked. "I'm more than a little curious to see what your people are like, but what if they won't accept Roxanne. She could be in danger."

"You don't have to worry about that, Megamind." Said Melisande, "I can't say that the Tandarens and Nairians will not be expecting her presence, but they will regard Roxanne as more of a curiosity than anything else. We have long since left behind the close minded attitudes which led to the wars so many centuries ago."

"I think that I can trust your word." Said Megamind, after a moment.

"In that case, what are we waiting for?" said Roxanne, smiling and her eyes shining, "It sounds like we need to start getting ready for a brand new adventure."

* * *

Well, it seems that Roxanne, Megamind and Minion are about to set off for a brave new world. What new adventures will await them as they make that journey? The next few chapters will hold the answers. Please, read and review.

Next chapter: Megamind, Roxanne and Minion begin their journey to the Chandos system. It will be only the start of an adventure that will forever change their lives.


	8. AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

My dear readers,

You may have noticed that Brave New World has not been updated for a few months, and some people have been asking me about it. I am sorry to have to say that I do not feel that I am able to continue this story. While I still love Megamind, and I am proud of the work that I have done on the stories in this genre, I no longer feel the inspiration that I once did to write stories for it. It had it's season, and I now feel that it is has run it's course.

This has been a difficult descion for me, but there are several things that make me feel that this is for the best. Writing is incredibly important to me; it is one of the great joys that I have in life. When I no longer feel that joy or inspiration, I just cannot force myelf to put the words on the page. Plus, I also feel that as a writer whose works are read and reviewed, I have a responsibility to put out the very best work that I can. I have felt for the past few months, that my work has not been my best when it comes to this genre, and therefore it is not fair to me or you, my readers, that I continue to do it. There are also other commitments of time and other stories that have required my attention.

I want to extend a generous and humble thank you to every one of you who has ever read, favorited or left reviews of any of my stories. Special thanks espcially to nineteennintytwo, alll of whom have consistently read and reviewed every single chapter of every single one of my Megamind stories.

If anyone feels that they could continue this story well, or would like to know a little of what I had planned, please let me know.

Again, I thank you for what has truly been an incredibly rewarding journey. Blessings.

FantasyBard


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